Illuminated fender guide



April 21, 1953 J. H. CONE 2,636,109

ILLUMINATED FENDER GUIDE Filed Jan. 7, 1950 3nnentor Josep/z (one(Ittomegs Patented Apr. 21, 1953 I'LLUMINATED FENDER GUIDE Joseph H.Cone, Bridgeport, Conn, asslgnor to Casco Products Corporation,Bridgeport, Conn, a corporation of Connecticut Application January 7,1950, Serial No. 137,353

1 Claim.

This invention relates to illuminated fender guides for automobiles andthe like, and more particularly to fender guides of the type having "thesource of illumination or bulb disposed in the bracket or housing whichis at the bottom of the sight s taiT of the fender guide.

Anobject of the invention is to provide an improved illuminated fenderguide of the type identified; which is characterized by the bulbmounting being extremely simple and economical toproduce, and enablingquick and easy replacement of the bulb to be effected.

;A further object of the invention is to provide an improved fenderguide as set forth above,

wherein adequate electrical contact with the bulb is maintained at alltimes, and wherein the bulb is firmly supported and held againstvibration. A feature of the invention is the provision of an improvedilluminated fender guide in accordanoe'with the foregoing but-having anadjustable staff, wherein the bulb is retained in its mounting and thestaff adjustment maintained by means ofa single manually operable cap.

Another feature of the invention is the provision, in an illuminatedfender guide as above characterized, of an improved and simplifiedhousing and bracket structure which is simple and economical tofabricate.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is an elevational view of the improved iender guide of thisinvention, mounted on an automobile fender.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the lower portion ofthe fender guide.

Fig. 3 is a vertical axial section, enlarged, showing the details of thelower part of the fender guide.

Fig. 4 is an inside elevational view of the lower part of the fenderguide, looking in the direction of the arrows, 4, 4 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a transverse or horizontal section, taken on line 5-5 of Fig.3.

As shown, the present improved fender guide comprises an elongateupright housing [0 so arranged as to enable it to be cast, said housinghaving a threaded hole II in its lower portion, receiving a hollow screwl2 adapted to pass through an automobile fender l3 whereby the housingmay be rigidly secured to the fender.

The housing It has a vertical bore 14 extending downward from its top,and surrounding the mouth of the bore is an externally threaded flangel5 adapted to carry an apertured threaded cap It, the cap and flangehaving interior spherical surfaces I! and I8 cooperating to form asocket in which a ball I9 is carried.

In accordance with the invention a. novel. and improved mounting isprovided in the bore I4 of the housing ill, to receive and support anincandescent electric bulb 20 which is of the type having a smoothcylindrical base 2! and a pair of bayonet prongs 22. This mounting meanscom prises a plurality of projections 23 spaced circumferentially withinthe bore M, Fig. 5, the projections 23 being separated by spaces 24. Thespaces 24 are preferably just large enough to slidably receive thebayonet prongs 22 of the bulb 20, and preferably the spaces 24 and alsothe projections 23 are made tapering, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5, tofacilitate the locating oi the bayonet prongs 22 between theprojections.

The spaces 24 are in the form of slots which are closed at their bottomends, and the bayonet prong 22 engage the ends of the slots when thebulb is fully seated in the housing ll], thereby to establish efiectiveelectrical contact between the housing and base 2 I of the bulb.

The bore I 4 of the housing has an upper portion of relatively largediameter to accommodate the globe of the bulb 20, and a lower portionofrelatively small diameter, meeting with the'projections 23 and closelyfitting about the base 2 l of the bulb.

In the small-diameter lower portion of the bore I4 is provided, ayieldable means comprising a helical coil spring 25 and a disk 26 ofinsulation material resting on the upper end of the coil spring, tonormally urge the bulb 20 upward and outward of the bore [4. A centercontact 27 carried by the disk 26 engages the tip contact of the bulbbase, and is connected with a wire 28 which passes downwardly throughthe coil 25 and through the hollow center of the mounting screw 12 ofthe fender guide.

I also provide manually removable means engaging the upper portion ofthe globe of the bulb 20 to hold the bulb in operative position in thehousing I0, said means consisting of a second helica1 compression spring29- which is interposed between the top of the bulb 20 and the bottom ofthe ball 19 carried between the socket surfaces I1 and I8.

The ball I9 is provided with a diametric bore passing completely throughit, and press fitted in said bore is the lower end 30 of a staff 3|which is preferably formed of methyl methacrylate or acrylic resin,commonly known as Lucite, which has the property of conducting ortransmitting light.

By such organization I provide an extremely simple and efiective meansfor mounting the bulb 20 within the housing I0, and one which isreliable in use, prevents undue vibration of the bulb when the fenderguide is carried on an automobile and enables the bulb to be easily andquickly replaced when this becomes necessary.

For example, to replace the bulb '20 it is only necessaryto unscrew thecap 19 and remove the staff 3| and press fitted ball [9 on its lowerend. The coil spring 29 will, as a result of its no longer beingconfined, extend itself whereby it may be readily reached and lifted outby the fingers.

The release of pressure from the top of the bulb 20 will enable thecompression spring 25 to extend itself, raising the bulb 20 asubstantial distance in the bore 14 of the housing 10. merely necessaryto employ a small strip of ad- It is now hesive tape, such as Scotchtape or the like, pressing this against the top of the globe of the bulbwhereupon the bulb may be completely lifted out of the bore 14 bywithdrawing the tape. A new bulb may then be readily dropped in placeand the parts again assembled, whereupon the pressures of the springs 25and 29 on the bottom and top portions of the bulb will securely hold thebulb in mounted position against excess vibration, and will also providefor adequate electrical contact to the base 2| of the bulb.

' No twisting of the bulb is necessary during this installation, sincethe retention of the bulb does not depend on the prongs '22 being lockedin bayonet slots, as has been the custom heretofore.

The light from the bulb will pass through the spring 29 and strike thelower end of the staff 3|, whereuponit will be transmitted upwardlythrough the staff and illuminate the tip of the latter.

Angular adjustment of the staff 3| is readily had by the provision ofthe ball [9 in the socket formed in the cap l6 and flange l5, andtightening of the cap will securely hold the ball I9 and the stafi Si inany adjusted upright position.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of the claimand portions of the improvements may be used without others.

I claim: In an illuminated fender guide, a lamp hous= ing adapted to bemounted on a fender, said housing having a vertical bore extendingdownward from its top for wholly receiving an electric bulb, basedownward, and for contacting said base, and having a threaded flangearound the mouth of the bore; yieldable contact means in said bore andinsulated from the housing, said means being engageable with the base ofthe bulb, tending to raise the bulb in the bore; an apertured screw capthreaded on the flange of the housing, said cap and flange constitutin asocket which be- .comes smaller when the cap is tightened; a ball insaid socket, adapted to be seized thereby, said ball having a diametricbore passing through it; a yieldable ring-like member interposed betweensaid ball and the top of the bulb, holding the latter downward in thebore of the housing against the action of said yieldable means; and alight-conducting sight staff fitted into the bore of said ball andsupported by the ball, said staff extending upward through the screw capwhereby light from the bulb passes through the ring-like member and theball, and is transmitted upward by said staff.

JOSEPH H. CONE.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,028,025 Hunter May 28, 1912 1,301,253 Grether Apr. 22, 19191,326,300 Smit Dec. 30, 1919 1,555,902 Brady Oct. 6, 1925 1,756,070Schupp Apr. 29, 1930 1,965,865 Thompson July 10, 1934 2,081,703Germonprez May 25, 1937 2,224,032 Kline Dec. 3, 1940 2,252,267 LofgrenAug. 12, 1941 2,413,381 Rylsky Dec. 31, 1946 2,420,772 Dalton May 20,1947 2,473,981 Wood June 21, 1949 2,474,677 Kirkland June 28, 1949FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 460,062 France Sept. 24, 1913

